Turning rack for incubators



July 27, 1943. c. A. LINDBERG TURNING RACK FOR INCUBATORS Filed Aug. 29,1941 mm vwy/wwm,

L NN/ @N o o o Patented `Iuly 27, 1943 2,325,140 fr. Y t v'riunione EAC-Kroa INcUlsaToits i Charles A. Lindberg, White Pigeon, Mich., assign vor to George Ei'iggins, White BigeonyMich." Application liegen 29, 1941,Seite; Nautisme "f Y e claims.- (o1. 11o-44)' Y This invention relatesto turning racks for incubatore.

`It has for itsfobjects: ,l First tov'provide a novel egg turning rack.Second, to provide such a rack which is simple and may be madeinexpensively.

Third, to provide such a rack whichv may be operated by auni-directional motor. o'

VFourth, to provide such a rac: whi.ch.ma.f be

controlled automatically.

VI'urther objects and-advantages pertaining 1 to details and economiesofvconstruction and op-` eration Vwill appear from the description toiollow. The invention is dened in the'claims. A preferred embodiment ofmy inventionV is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig, 1A is a'view in sideelevaticn illustrating al pair of incubatorracks and turning mechanism associated therewith in accordance with myinvention.A

g. 2 is a. fragmentary Vtop plan view `illustrating certa-in details ofthe actuating device for the turning mechanism, the View being taken inhorizontal section.

ig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view par'- tially broken away and inAsection on a lineY corresponding to lines 3*-3 of Figs- 1 and 2.

1 Referring tothe drawingthe reference niimerals l, 2 designaterespectivelyegg Aincubation racks, each Of which has an angle ironYframe 3,- including uprights eiandtransverse members 5 suitably securedtn )getheras lby riveting, welding or the like. Y' Y Y f In accordancewith my invention, the transverse members 5 have the egg supportingshelves 6 pivoted thereon at a. pivot point l at the mid` point of theshelves, these shelves; being ai`.

ranged in a pluralityV of vertical tiers ofv any desired capacity.Shelves Shave upstanding lips 8 adapted to restrainingly engage' the;eggtrays 9 disposed therebetweensoas tor prevent slid-` ing displacementofthe latter froni'the shelves. when they are swung about the pivotpoints Il',V

The shelves of each tier are p-ivotally artcu lated for movement as aunit bythe elongated.. vertically extending rodsA i@ pivoted to each ofthe shelves at Il, whereby as the rod moves veyftica-lly upwardly ordownwardly, each shelfis pivoted an equal'amount,v Vertical movement,of; f

rods l0 is produced by connecting rods orlinks l2, one for eachtier,.each of which is pivoted Y at one extremity toA a rod Ill', as ati3, and at the'otherextremity toa main rocker arm or lever4 1M, asati5.` The rocker arms lli are suitably pivoted to the rack frame atl vandthe links I2 for. the respective tiersv-'are pivotedfto the rocker armat pivotvp'oints lequ-distant-from Vthe pivot ypoint I6 ofthe-rockerarm.- YIt willbe.

readily appreciated that asrrocker ifi is os-. cillated about itspivotVthe-above described link; age producesa corresponding verticalpivoting oi the several shelves 6. f Y t. Y

In orderto provide theaforesaiduoscillation of the rocker arms, `.[Apivotallyinterconnect the adjacent free ends thereof to a cranky I'Ivbymeans o fthe elongated connecting rods i8.

Crank i'! -is fixed to a sprocket wheel I9 which i is drivenby chain 2lifrom a further.y sprocket 2l, the sprocket and sprocket wheel. beingro-` tatably mounted `in a pair of parallel mountingy orsupportingplates 2 22 Vsecured to the racks. Sprocket 2|, as clearly illustratedin Figs.. 2,3, is}1'ixed to ashaft. 23 rotatablyy mountedv in plates 22,andthis shaftalso has secured thereto a helical gear 24 which is in meshwith afurther helical gear f25r secured to va parallel drive shaft 26,likewise,` j ournaled in brackets or plates 22.. These gears andthekchain drive described constitutrema reduced 'speed Vvdrivefor crank iladaptedto rotate the latter when `shaft @Slis rotated. j l* v Lo'oselymounted on the drive shaft sprocket 2l..which is drivenbya 'chain 23 ithe shaft ofarnotor-ZS (see Figs. land 2li n the purpose-of drivinglyconnecting sprocket 2? to the shaft 2S for rotation of the latter bylmotonfI employk a clutch collar` tu secured to shaft 26 by a set-screw,key orthe like..v Collar 33 is provided with an lopening 3! extendingtherethrough parallel to theY axis thereof. adapted tobe'brought inregister rwith a lateralrre-y cess 32 formed in the side of sprocket 2land slidable in opening 3l I provide a clutch pin Pin 3 3 is engageableby asleevetli teles'copi'n'gV ly associated .-with shaftA 2E to shittthepin in Y either direction of, its length' and-thereby driv-.inglyvengage or disengage the clutclicollar 13B withfsprocket .21,hence the sprocketv/ithshaft inthe embodimentiiiustated, the `vshiftingfof sleeve 34 is'manually'performed-by means oa l control rod "35 slidable in `plate 'fand provided with an enlarged Yhead 3S coacting witha flange Vthe front sideof theA rack] A coil co. ,es Y springv 38;interposed between plate 22' and the .55'

3l* on the sleeve,y VIt will befunderstood thatrod 3 5 vcarries anexternal hand piece adapted tob'e manipulated'from` any convenientpositionat aforesaid sleeve' sliserves to resiliently urge the same vtothe left to a position to engagev the clutch pin 33 with sprocket 2.

lThe motor 29 is Vpreferably a uni-directional motor which is lessexpensive than the standard' reversible motors and which will operatesatisfactorily with my mechanism. This motor may be controlled by anysuitable switch so that the operator can runthe motor for a sufiicientlength of time* to tilt the eggy trays the desired amount. It will beappreciated that automatic time controls could be employed.

In the event that itis desired' to pivot shelves manually, it is onlynecessary to pull the y'control rod 35 outwardly, 'thereby drivinglydisengaging vsprocket 21 and motor 29- Irorn the shaftY 26. The lattermay then be manually turned the required amount by any suitable crankmeans to tilt the shelves the desired degree.

the I A frame, each having a-pivotal connection at one v end to one ofsaid vertical members and at the other end to the rocker arm pivoted tosaid frame, the pivotal connections between the rocker arm andtherpairof links of each trani-e being spaced equally from'thepivot point ofsaid rocker arm and on opposite sides thereof, and a uni-Vdirectionalmotor and means operatively connecting said motor to saidcrank to rotatethe same.

2. An egg turning incubator rack Aconstruction comprising Aa pair offrames each having a pair of tiers of shelves,eachV tier comprising aplu- V rality of'sub'stantially horizontal shelves pivoted medially of'said shelves on said trame on parallel It will lbe evident fromtheforegoing description that the turning'mechanism of my invention maybe associated' with; any desired number vof racks arrangedin gangs inyany desired manner. It will likewise be 'appreciated'that Va powertake-off from a single lshaftextendin'g longi-` Vment, but it isperfectly evident that variousv of the instrumentalities.thereof can bealtered without departing fromthe invention. The present constructionhas the great" advantage of'con'- solidating turning'instrum'entalitiesfor `a large n'umberofV shelves arranged in tiers a-single mechanism.Thus, as illustrated, two tiers, each of Atwelve shelf capacity, can beturned in each of two racks atthe same time, enabling large numbers ofeggs tobe simultaneously handled.r

i axes, the axes of each tier being'vertically alined, a rocker armpivoted on each frame on an axis parallel with the axes of tilting ofsaid shelves at a point between said tiers of shelves, aci-ankdisposedbetween said frames and rotatable on an axis Yparallel with theaxes of Atilting of said shelves, ya link connecting each of said rockerarms to the free end of said crank, wherebyl on rotation of said cranksaid'Y rookerarms are rocked, a vertical member foreach-tier of shelveshaving pivotal connections toeach'shelf of its tier for simultaneouslytilting said shelves upon vertical movement, and a pair of links foreach frame, each having av pivotal connectionat one Yend to one of saidverticalj members andV atthe An embodiment of the invention whichincorporates the principles of ythe invention in a highlydesirablemanner hasbeen illustratedV and i# described, though I amawarethat other embodiments withintheintent of the invention willsuggestV themselves t` o those skilled in the art. "It should beunderstood that the foregoing v Y terminology is used only descriptivelyrather `than infa limitinggsense,l and withffull intention to# include'equivalents ofV the features shown and described,v within the scopeof the vfollowing claims..

` `Having `thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters a rocker arm pivoted on each frame on an aXisparallel with the axes-01j tiltingA of' said shelvesr at a'pointbetweenl said tiers of shelves, aorauk 2 disposed between said tramesand rotatableon an axis parallel with'the axes' of tilting of saidshelves, a link connecting eachbf4 said rocker arms to the free end ofsaid crankwhereby on rotation of Vsaid crank Vsaid rocker arms arerocked, a vertical member for each tier of shelves having pivotalconnections to each' shelf ofv its ktier for simultaneouslytiltingsaidshelves upon vertical movement, and a pair of links for each other Yendto the rocker arm pivoted to said frame, the pivotal connections betweenthe rocker arm and the pairof links of each frame being spacedv equallyfrom the pivot point of said rocker arm andv onopposite sides thereof.

3. An egg turning incubator rack construction comprising fa pairoffri-ames each having a pair .of tiers of sheives', each tiercomprising aplurality of substantially horizontalV shelves 'pivotedmedially of saidshelves on said frame on parallel axes, the axes of eachtier being vertically aline'd, a rocker arm pivoted on each frame on anaxis parallel with the axes of tilting of said shelves at a pointbetween saidtiersfof shelves, a crank disposed between said frames androtatable Vonfan axisparallel with the aXes of tilting of'A saidshelves, a link connecting`V each of said rocker arms to the free end ofsaidV crank, 'whereby on rotation of' said crank said' -rocker arms are`rocke`d,a vertical member for each tierl of shelves Yhavingpivotalconnections to each shelf oflitsr tier for simultaneously tilting saidlshelves'upon vertical movement', anda pair of links for each frame, eachhaving-a pivotal connection at one end to one of said vertical' membersandat the other end to the rocker arm pivoted to said frame, ,ierpivotal connections between the roclnerlajrm and the pair oi links ofeach frame being spaced from thepivot Ypoint of said rocker arm. 4. Ariegg turning incubator rack construction comprising a frame having a pairof tiers of shelveseach tiercomprising a 'plurality 'of substantiallyhorizontal shelves pivoted `medially of said shelvesvon said frame onparallel axes, the

` axes o'f each tier being vertically alined, a substantiallyVhorizontal rocker arm pivoted ony the frame on an axis parallel vwiththe axes of tilting of said shelves at a point between saidY tiers ofshelves, a crank rotatable on an axis parallel with .the axes of tiltingofsaid shelves; a link'connect- 'A ing said rocker arm tothe freeendvofsaid crank whereby on rotation of said crank Vsaid rockerarm is1-0cl;ed, said link `being pivotallyconnected to v i said rocker armlaterally and substantially horrizontally of the pivotal supporting axisof said rocker arm, a Vertical member for "eachtier of shelves havingpivotal connections to each shelf of its tier for simultaneously tiltingsaid shelves upon vertical movement, a pair of links each having apivotal connection at onev end to one of said vertical members and atthe other end to the rocker arm, the pivotal connections between therocker arm and the pair of links being spaced equally from the pivotpoint of said rocker arm and on opposite sides thereof, and auni-.directional motor, and means operatively connectingsaid motor tosaid crank to rotate the same.

to" one ofvsaid verticalmembers and at vthe other end to the rocker arm,the pivotal connections betweenthe'rocker arm4 and the pair of linksbeing spaced equally fromv the pivot point of said rocker arm andonopposite sidesthereof.

` 6.v An egg turning incubator rack-construction comprising ya framehaving a pair of ltiers of shelves each tier comprising a plurality ofsubstantially horizontal shelves pivoted medially' of said shelves onsaid frame on parallel axes, the

laxes of each tier being vertically alined, a sub- 5. An egg turningincubator rack construction f comprising a frame having a pair of tiersof shelves each tier comprising a plurality of substantially horizontalshelves pivoted medially of said shelves on said frame on parallel axes,the axes of each tier being vertically'alined, a substantiallyhorizontal rocker arm pivoted on the frame on an axis' parallel withktheaxes `of tilting of said shelves at a point between said tiers ofshelves, a orankrotatable on an axis parallel each tier of shelveshaving pivotal connections to each shelf of its tier for simultaneouslytilting said shelves upon vertical movement, a pair .of`

links each having a pivotal connection at one end stantially4 horizontalrocker arm pivoted on the `frame on an axis, parallel with the axes of*tilt-- ing of said shelves at a point between said tiers oi shelves,'acrank rotatable on "an axis parallel withthe axes of tilting', of saidshelves, a linkk connecting said rocker `arm tothe free end of saidcrank whereby on'rotation of said crank saidV rocker. arm is rocked,said linkbeing pivotally connected toA said rocker arm laterally andsubstantially horizontally of the pivotal supporting j Aaxis of saidrocker arm, averticalhmember for each `tier of shelves having pivotalconnections to each shelf of its-tierfor simultaneously tilting saidshelves upon vertical movement, and a'pair` of links eachhavingapivotalconnection at one `endto one ofV said Vertical members and atthe otherl end to the rocker arm', the pivotal connections between therocker arm and the pair of links A being spaced from the pivot'p'oint ofsaid rocker arm.` l e CHARLES A LINDBERG.`

